How can I check for an lsd?

[SKYHI]

Hi guys,

I have just been looking at a 95 clubman as a basis for a track car. I was led to believe all the clubmans had an lsd but when I put the car up on the hoist at the mechanics behind me, he spun the rear wheels and said it was an open diff. Does this sound right?

Any other way I can check?

Cheers, Paul.

[Steampunk]

I have a word doc titled \"Differential spotter's guide\", lotsa photos.
PM me your email address and I'll send it to ya

[SKYHI]

PM sent.

Thanks.

[Matty]

A torsen can act like an open diff if fully unloaded (like on a hoist!)

Burnouts are the bestest method of evaluation.

[SKYHI]

So if i jack up the rear of the car and have both wheels off the ground, what should I expect to see when I rotate one of the wheels?

Paul.

[GP]

Well with a LSD both wheels should turn the same direction. An open will spin the opposite direction. (This is with other cars i've had not my 5)

[muzza2]

A torsen can act like an open diff if fully unloaded (like on a hoist!)

Burnouts are the bestest method of evaluation.

due to the mx5 having a really good weight distribution u will be able to do a 2 wheel burnout even with out and lsd if u have crappy tyres.
just because u can do a 2 wheel burnout does not mean u have an LSD

with a VLSD you can just jack the car up, spin 1 wheel and if they spin in the same direction then u have an LSD

but as matty said, some better LSD's might be able to spin as an open diff while unloaded. - VLSD is not a "better" brand of LSD

[StanTheMan]

http://www.miata.net/garage/vlsd.html

[Matty]

let me rephrase that.

burnouts with one wheel on a slippery surface is the bestest method.

burnouts in general are still the bestest.

[zoomzoom]

OK, firstly, if it is a clubman it should have a torsen lsd. Note a torson lsd will appear to act exactly like an open diff when off the ground.

As Matty says do a burnout. No joke, it is the easiest way to tell, get one wheel on the grass beside the road, and the other on the dry road, drop a skid. If the wheel on the road spins too it is an lsd.

Tim

[SKYHI]

Well the car was on a hoist with both wheels unloaded so that's why he may have assumed it was an open diff.

Do Torsen lsds behave differently to other lsds in similar situations?

Paul.

[sabretooth]

OK, firstly, if it is a clubman it should have a torsen lsd. Note a torson lsd will appear to act exactly like an open diff when off the ground.

As Matty says do a burnout. No joke, it is the easiest way to tell, get one wheel on the grass beside the road, and the other on the dry road, drop a skid. If the wheel on the road spins too it is an lsd.

Tim

Reinforcing this. The "jack it up and spin the wheels by hand" test is invalid.

[SKYHI]

Cool, well that puts my mind to rest about that. All I need to do now is ask the current owner if he'd mind me doing a burnout in the car to check the lsd

[Alex]

doesn't really have to be a burnout, just try making a sharpish turn under power and see how the car reacts. for example pull out of a side-street under full throttle in 1st and see what the car does. Before my Torsen was installed it would get unbalanced and just one wheel would spin, after if just gripped with a bit of tyre slip